Question

name class date
lesson 4, continued
complete the chart about how technological changes at the turn of the
20th century affected american life. leave the shaded boxes blank.

1. skyscraper
2. electric transit
3. suspension bridge
4. city planning
5. food supply
6. web - perfecting press
7. airmail
8. kodak camera

© houghton mifflin harcourt publishing company

Answer:

To complete the chart, we analyze each invention/development:

1. Skyscraper

• Who was involved: Architects like Louis Sullivan (pioneered skyscraper design with the “form follows function” principle), William Le Baron Jenney (often called the “Father of the Skyscraper” for early steel - framed designs).
• Other inventions that helped: The Bessemer process (mass - produced steel, making tall, strong structures feasible), elevators (Elisha Otis’ safety elevator made vertical transportation in tall buildings practical).
• Effect on lives: Enabled dense urban development, creating space for offices and residences in crowded cities; transformed city skylines and urban architecture.

2. Electric transit (shaded “Who was involved” box left blank)

• Other inventions that helped: Electric generators (provided power), the development of electric motors (powered transit vehicles), and the invention of the trolley pole (for streetcars).
• Effect on lives: Reduced reliance on horse - drawn transit, making urban travel faster, cleaner, and more efficient; expanded city boundaries as people could commute longer distances, spurring suburban growth.

3. Suspension bridge

• Who was involved: Engineers like John A. Roebling (designed the Brooklyn Bridge, though he died during construction; his son Washington Roebling completed it) and later engineers who refined suspension bridge technology.
• Other inventions that helped: Advances in steel production (for strong cables and towers), and mathematical engineering principles for calculating load - bearing capacities.
• Effect on lives: Connected cities and regions separated by waterways (e.g., Brooklyn and Manhattan), improving trade, travel, and regional integration.

4. City planning (shaded “What other inventions helped” box left blank)

• Who was involved: Urban planners like Daniel Burnham (known for the 1909 Plan of Chicago, emphasizing orderly city design with parks, wide streets, and civic centers).
• Effect on lives: Reduced urban overcrowding, improved sanitation (with planned sewer systems), and created green spaces (parks) for public health and recreation; organized cities for better functionality and quality of life.

5. Food supply

• Who was involved: Inventors like Clarence Birdseye (developed frozen food technology later, but at the turn of the century, advancements in canning by Nicolas Appert (earlier, but industrialized in the US) and improvements in refrigeration (e.g., Carl von Linde’s refrigeration technology adapted for food transport) were key.
• Other inventions that helped: Railroads (for transporting food over long distances), refrigerated railroad cars (to keep food fresh), and canning technology.
• Effect on lives: Made a wider variety of foods available year - round (e.g., canned goods, refrigerated produce); reduced food waste and improved nutrition as fresh food could be transported from farms to cities.

6. Web - perfecting press (shaded “Who was involved” box left blank)

• Other inventions that helped: The steam engine (provided power for the press), and earlier printing press innovations (like the Gutenberg press, which the web - perfecting press built upon for faster, continuous printing).
• Effect on lives: Increased the speed and volume of newspaper, magazine, and book production, making information and literature more accessible to the public; boosted literacy and public awareness by spreading news and ideas faster.

7. Airmail

• Who was involved: The US Postal Service, along with early aviators like Charles Lindbergh (later, but initial airmail pilots) and the development of reliable aircraft (e.g., the Curtiss JN - 4 “Jenny” used in early airmail service).
• Other inventions that helped: The airplane (Wilbur and Orville Wright’s 1903 flight made air travel possible), and improvements in aviation technology (more powerful engines, better navigation).
• Effect on lives: Dramatically reduced mail delivery time between distant cities (e.g., coast - to - coast mail could now take days instead of weeks), improving business communication and personal correspondence.

8. Kodak camera

• Who was involved: George Eastman (invented the Kodak camera in 1888, making photography accessible to the masses with his “You press the button, we do the rest” marketing).
• Other inventions that helped: Advances in film chemistry (for developing photos) and lightweight, portable camera mechanisms.
• Effect on lives: Democratized photography, allowing ordinary people to document their lives, families, and events; spurred the growth of amateur photography and the preservation of personal and cultural history.

Final Answer (Filled Chart Summary)

Invention/Development	Who was involved in its development?	What other inventions helped make this one possible?	How did this invention or development affect Americans’ lives?
2. Electric transit	(Shaded - blank)	Electric generators, electric motors, trolley pole	Faster, cleaner urban travel; expanded city boundaries.
3. Suspension bridge	John A. Roebling, Washington Roebling, etc.	Steel production, engineering math	Connected regions, improved trade/travel.
4. City planning	Daniel Burnham, etc.	(Shaded - blank)	Reduced overcrowding, improved sanitation, created green spaces.
5. Food supply	Clarence Birdseye (later), Nicolas Appert (canning), etc.	Railroads, refrigerated cars, canning	Year - round food access, reduced waste.
6. Web - perfecting press	(Shaded - blank)	Steam engine, Gutenberg - style presses	Increased print volume/speed, spread information.
7. Airmail	US Postal Service, early aviators	Airplane, aviation tech	Faster mail delivery, improved communication.
8. Kodak camera	George Eastman	Film chemistry, portable camera mechanisms	Democratized photography, preserved personal/cultural history.